Pharaoh's Love
by First Commander Miari
Summary: When Yami falls in love with Isis, he asks her to risk her own head for his. She accepts, but will Yami's life be shattered forever? {set in ancient Egypt} CH. 8 UP!!!
1. An Espionage

I looked at the towering palace. All that filled my thoughts was the figure sitting on the topmost tower. It was the young pharaoh, Yami. I, the sister of Marik, am his sworn enemy. Why must things be so strange in this land? I, Isis Ishizu, am the secretly chosen successor to the throne. Monsters roam our lands, tame ones, and those untamed. My job will be to use my tamed monsters and allies to defend our beautiful land. I have so far harnessed the power of the Cosmo Queen. She is one of the divine creatures, pure shadow.   
  
Speaking of shadow, every year we hold the exciting shadow games. Everyone brings their best creatures to try their skills. Unfortunately, I believe that the high priest Seto will abuse this oppurtunity. My brother musn't know, lest we lose our high priest. Marik has been known for his utmost cruelty. My millenium Tahk tells me other things too. It grants me second sight, and the ability to enter minds. Involvement with the thousand-year items can be quite confusing.  
  
I was sitting in a sedan chair, trying to use my tahk to tell me the future. It refused to lend me its gift. My chair pulled to a halt at my home. Marik was leaning against a post. Bare-chested and sweating, his blue eyes peeked out from underneath long silver hair. He reminded me of a thief who has yet to be caught and beheaded. "Hello Marik," I said in a superior manner. He may have been hot-tempered, but he knew that I was older. He sniffed and looked into my eyes. "Isis, I need to talk to you in private." I could do nothing but follow.  
  
We walked down to a little alcove near the dungeon. Marik had to crouch, but nobody else came here, not ever. "What is it," I asked gently. He looked at me. "Isis, tell me the truth. Is Seto trying to overthrow the royal bloodline?" I moaned. Seto was cold and cruel, yes, but he was an asset to our country. "He is, my brother. Please don't do anything rash." He could do nothing as the younger one except wait for my approval or risk being beheaded.  
  
I waited for my brother's reply and turned to walk away. "Wait!" I turned my head and Marik was searching for what to say. "Well, I don't see why we shouldn't tell the pharaoh." I turned to face him. "How come? You never cared before. Why should you now?" He crossed his arms and cocked his head. "Because this is important, and I think enmity can wait when evil is amiss." I was shocked at my brother's words.  
  
Never before hadmy brother wanted to report to Yami. No soul knows my brother as I do, and he is changing, drifting away from me, from himself. "I will consider it." I felt proud of myself, walking away just like that. My dead father would have been proud. He would have been the pharaoh now.  
  
Later I went to Yami's apartments. He was inside, a low hum sounding forth from the spinning fan in his room. I walked in and looked curiously around. "Hello Isis." His strong voice was deep and assuring. When in doubt, I always came to ask Yami for help. He is years younger than myself, but wiser in certain things. I came up slowly. "Pharaoh...I..." He shrugged and turned to face me. "Please, use my true name." I felt better now. "Seto is planning to overthrow you. Although I have greater authority, Maarik would slay me just to gain the upper hand. He would then overthrow both you and Seto."  
  
Yami was astounded by my message, but he quickly regathered his composure. "This is dangerous," he said. "You may hide here for a while." I put my hands on my hips. "I am no coward. I would marry you publicly and feel no shame. I just don't know what to do." I felt comfortable with the pharaoh. We had once been punished for riding together in a chariot. He owns enough creatures for three people. We are absolutely a perfect match.  
  
I was about to leave when Yami raised a hand to stop me. "We will get rid of this problem. Can you spy on Seto tonight?" I nodded vigorously. "Yes, I certainly can." 


	2. Discovery in the Catacombs

The next day, I was surprised when Marik started talking to me, his light blue eyes spreading an icy chill throughout my body. It felt as if Anubis were talking to me, and not my own brother. "You know that we were destined for the throne, Isis," he said without emotion. "That is why Father named you after a goddess."  
"You speak as if you are older than me. You know the penalty for speaking so, and going against my will would only sink you into deeper trouble."  
Now an icy rage filled me, a rage at the fact that my brother was so negligent of the law. If he spoke to me like that any longer, he would have his tongue cut off. Acting against my will would result in his death. My brother's temperment was icy, yes, but I did not wish for him to die because of a stubborn will.  
  
I was quickly growing angry with my brother, but my countenance remained blank. "It is your turn to follow me," I said coldly. Was I too adopting this icily cruel temperment that my brother possessed? He followed me to the temple of Ra, where I lit a candle and led him into an icy cold passageway. Such pleasing temperature was rarely found in Egypt, but there was a strange aura here, something that depicted great power within the depths of these catacombs. "Something rests here," I warned. "Be cautious not to disturb it." With a grunt, my brother followed me further into the passageway.  
  
Within hours we had lost our sense of where we were going. Marik grumbled some mild curses and otherwise remained silent. "Don't worry," I said, a touch of fear creeping into my voice. "We should be there soon."  
"You are the one who shouldn't worry. After all, you're trembling all over."  
"Brother, I only fear that you will depart from us soon."  
"Why would you care? You treat me as if you play the role of our dead mother, Isis. Can't you realize that your brother is no longer a child?"  
I was hit hard with my brother's last words. Yes, I did realize that Marik's childhood was long past, but he had nobody to guide him away from the path of death that he was going slowly down. I needed to clasp his hand before his icy blue eyes faded from my vision, and into the kingdom of Anubis.  
  
Why did my brother need to act as if he were the elder of the family? He played me as if I were his pawn. Nothing good would come of it, and my brother would die from taking life's most dangerous path: that of a rich outlaw. Having been raised in the comfort and shade of a rich home, Marik had no skills in battle. I could beat him, if we ever got to the point of sparring. I wonder what he would do to me if I even tried to teach him the spear and javelin. "We are here," I said, as we entered a small room with a drawing of Ra on every wall. "Yet this is not what I came to show you. Look over at the altar." There sat the items that had the potential to bring ruin to the entire world.  
  
Marik fondled a rod with passion. His eyes were not so icy anymore; they were cynically playful. "Isis," he said with such strength that he didn't sound at all like my younger brother. "Take something here. You and I can reclaim our throne with the aid of these items. Just take something and we can take back what is ours. Yami's rule will be brought to an abrupt halt." I prayed in my mind that Yami would be safe somehow from my brother's insanity. Yes, I am afraid it has become drastic enough to be called insanity.  
  
Suddenly, I heard footsteps behind us. A young man, around my age, stood there in white robes and turban, his mouth a thin line of cold, hard anger. "Who are you, and why do you dare walk the sacred grounds?"  
"We are the true royal family, or what remains of it, my young friend." The young man's eyes hardened at my response. His skin was only slightly lighter than mine, and his neck was burdened by a large key made of pure gold. Yami had told me that this key marked the guardian of the items that he had sealed with the power of the shadow games. Very few creatures from those dangerous games remain today. "I am a friend of the-" Marik cut me of as I almost said pharaoh. "We are going to leave now," my brother said. "We're sorry to have inconvenienced you." We were going to leave, when a boulder came crashing down right at us.  
  
Author's Note-Sorry, but I have to keep up the suspense for the next chapter. 


	3. The Guardian:Shaadi

My heart raced as the boulder came rushing down. It seemed to take hours for that thing to fall and crush me, like a frail bird being hit by even the smallest rock. Yet the darkness of the pale glare of Anubis did not meet me. At least four paces across from me sat the boulder, and right next to it sat Yami. Those clear blue eyes looked at me with fervor as he passed out. That was the first time that a man had ever looked at me like that before. Marik, however, delivered a hard kick to Yami's side. The limp body that was my pharaoh moaned, and attempted to turn over. I rushed to his side, glaring at my own insane brother the entire time. The young man from before walked up and knelt next to me. "The pharaoh made it so that each item that the power of the shadow games was focused into would only lend its power to one soul, one that its spirit thought worthy."  
  
"I see," I said, holding back tears, "You know who they were destined for, and I am a mere puppet, a helpless lamb in the midst of wolves."  
"No, my young friend. I do not know whom these items were destined for, and nobody ever should. It is a dangerous business, interfering with destiny. Unfortunately, the pharaoh was willing to go to any extremes when he enlisted seven followers to come with him into these catacombs."  
I rose to my feet, and a question came to my mind. "What is your name, guardian?"  
"I am Shaadi, and you needn't call me guardian. Just do me a favor and protect the pharaoh."  
I nodded and watched as Yami slowly awakened and pulled his leg out from under the rock. He staggered getting to his feet, but despite his limp, he was still strong and healthy.  
  
The depths of the passageway that I had boldly led my brother through looked foreboding, as if someone were waiting for us to trip up, or leave. My brother stood up and leaned forward eagerly, that golden rod held firmly in his hand. He expected me to take something, so I did. It was a cold chain, with a scarab charm hanging from it. I slipped the necklace on and smiled. A new sharpness, rather an awareness, swept over me. No wonder it had overcome my brother with his longing for long lost power. Only the fear of what had happened to my brother stopped me from succumbing to its might. This necklace contained the power of the shadow games, the most dangerous game in this world.  
  
Yami looked at me fearfully, then sighed with obvious relief. "You were lucky it did not kill you. The consequences could have been dire if you had not been one of the seven that I chose. You are one whom I felt had the wit to do such a thing as handle the power of the shadow games." My eyes widened as the necklace glowed a bright gold. I breathed nervously and looked from Marik to Yami. Both young men showed dislike for the other. Nothing would break their enmity, unless I could find a goal that they both shared. Of course, this was easier said than done.  
  
We headed off to leave the catacombs a short while later. Yami refused to talk to me, and only looked at Marik warily. His limp was strangely near impossible to notice. "Yami, why did you take seven followers, why didn't you take any guards?"  
"I was the only person who knew about this passageway until you found it. I didn't think it necessary."  
I froze, feeling the sweltering heat of Egypt's midday sun creeping through toward us. We had almost arrived at the entrance to the passageway.  
  
Upon coming out into the sweltering heat of Egypt's surface, Yami dismissed Marik from our presence and told me to stay with him for the night. What argument did I have? I followed him through the crowded streets hoping that I would not have to share a bed with the young pharaoh. 


	4. Shattered Love and New Alliances

The pharaoh motioned for me to enter first when we reached his palace. The shining halls of black marble leaped out at me with utmost ferocity. The way the halls caught the light made the sun seem dull. Yet my pharaoh seemed out of place in all this. His eyes were focused firmly on my back, and his footsteps echoed in the halls. "Does something trouble you," I asked in a low tone, "You have been like a stone ever since my brother looked at you in the catacombs."  
"Is a murder attempt not a thing to fear! If I am dead, you will have to be placed on the throne immediately. You are not ready, you are not trained. I don't wish for you to die."  
"I thought you knew that I am more than a young girl to be manipulated," I replied coldly, "Perhaps my brother is right about you. You must let some people go eventually!"  
"Isis, I-I-I'm-" A wave of my hand stopped his attempts at an apology. "I thought you actually truly cared. I was wrong, blinded by my foolish love for you. Why you must fear for me so greatly is unclear. Go, young pharaoh! Go on attempting to manipulate the people of Egypt! They will rebel, and then you will wish you had changed your ways earlier!" I finished with an icy glare at Yami, and stormed out of the palace.  
  
Outside, I was greeted by my brother, who looked at me with a thin smile on his face. "Isis, are you ready to join hands with your true brethren? Come, forget Yami. We can find comfort in each other."   
"Yes my brother. I was a fool. We will use the power of the items in the catacombs against their maker. I am no longer the pharaoh's love. Yet I feel new freedom."  
We walked toward the temple of Ra once more and traveled through the passageway. When we arrived, Shaadi was there to greet us.  
  
The guardian walked up to me and clasped my hands in his. "What troubles you, Isis?"  
"The entire time that we shared, Yami thought I was a tool to be manipulated. He is a wicked man. Yet no power can drive him down. I wish he did truly love me. He thinks that I will be just like my brother. Why, Shaadi? Why must he torment me so!"  
"Yami is a young man with the weight of Egypt upon his shoulders. Sometimes, he thinks it is necessary to manipulate those close to him, but I partially agree with you. It is a cruel thing to do to a lover."  
"I am no longer the pharaoh's love! I suppose you will just try to apologize also. If so, save your energy for things of greater importance."  
Marik groaned and looked at me pleadingly. "We must go, Isis. I feel that something will come if we do not leave soon."  
  
My brother's instincts were right. A thief with thick silver hair nearly down to his waist ran in. His eyes were brown, and looked as if they had once been soft. His garment was much like a Roman toga, but was a rich purple color. His feet were bare, and his skin was pale. Before Shaadi could move, the young thief had snatched up the remaining items on the altar and left. Marik was dumbstruck that someone had beat him to the power that could take the world in its dark clutches. Then, I thought of how we could protect those items from destroying the world. 


	5. Assassination

The hall's of Yami's palace were carved with faces of men that glowered at me as I walked toward my pharaoh's quarters. Everything seemed so familiar here, mainly because I had come here so often in the past for advice. Would I do so again in the future? Would my pharaoh ever forgive me for what I had said? My mother had told me in my childhood that if I was in love, I should keep my instincts about me. Who could foretell whether or not the young pharaoh would forgive me for shouting at him in public and getting away with it? "Hello, Isis, I see you wish to visit?" The servant's greeting awakened me from a half-sleep as I almost walked into the door without opening it. The pharaoh's eyes were downcast when I came in. Shaadi also stood there, cold as stone.  
  
My first reaction was pure surprise. Yami's eyes that were now so weak; so deafeated, looked up at me with at least five years added to their age. "I hear strange news from Shaadi," he said to me, making his voice contain an obvious gravity. "You think that my love for you was false, and that I betrayed you. Why?"  
"You talked about me as if I were a possession, and not a person who can fend for herself." Shaadi left the room and I continued, "Also, you hate me now, do you not?"  
"Your beliefs are false. I did none of those things, and I wish to protect you because I do see you as a person, no, a hawk. Still, a hawk can be shot down by an arrow, even with its great sight. You are the same. I wish to protect you, and still allow you your freedom. Yet it is hard, because I love you so greatly that I feel overly protective of you at times."  
"So it wasn't to manipulate me?"  
"No, it was because I love you."  
  
Those three words hung in my head as I pushed my young pharaoh away. Yet I only drew closer in an embrace, feeling warmer in his arms, willing to stay there forever. There was no way to return his love, to show that I would sacrafice my own soul to make him happy. "I thank you for acceptance of my apology," I said, my eyes wide with disbelief at what I had allowed myself to be pulled into. "I should never have tried to hold back the news about my brother."  
"What is it?"  
"He will strike tonight, fast and hard, like a viper in the night. I will stay in your rooms, and you must go into the catacombs, where you will be safe."  
"What if you die?"  
"Death comes when it wills. I would rather that I die protecting you, my love. Perhaps Shaadi was right. I truly am like the pharaoh's love. Do not mourn my death, if I die. It will only make me grieve in the kingdom of Anubis."  
"Fine, I will take my leave now."  
  
My heart pounded, wishing that my tongue had not flown so freely. The sun was setting, and my brother said he would strike once the sky turned black. Suddenly, a sheet of darkness seemed to cover the clear sky. Not a thing could be seen, except for the small shadow that I saw vaguely creeping up the wall. I climbed into my pharaoh's bed and fell asleep. My breaths came raggedly, if at all, from all the tension that was within me. Then, I felt a sharp pain in my back. I turned over to see that it was Marik. My brother did not even seem surprised when he saw my face look up at him with cool composure. 


	6. The Shadow Within:Suline

I looked up at my brother with my face completely calm. Inside, I was screaming from pain. The dagger in my shoulder plunged deeper, until blood began to stain my clothes and flesh. My eyes flared as the blade slid out. Would it be a deadly wound? Would I sit here and bleed to death? No, I wrapped a sheet around my shoulder and it immediately turned crimson. "You should not attempt to fight pain," said a voice from the corner, "It stops faster if you succumb to it."  
"You don't know pain, you coward. If I die now, the pharaoh will be defenseless. I die here doing as you asked. I have sacraficed my life for the one man worthy of such a gift."  
"No! The pharaoh would be crushed if you died. You musn't do this to him!"  
"The weight of Egypt bore down on my shoulders until now. I know that death will remove this heavy burden from my shoulders."  
"Are you blinded by pain? The pharaoh would not think it a gift if you died for him. He would appreciate your sacrafice, but his entire world would be shatterred if you were to die." I shivered in pain and gave a scream. Then, I saw my brother creep up on us. That dagger slid into the spot between my other shoulder blade and my spine. It had enough force to put me to rest.  
  
I awakened in a dark corridor. Was this where Anubis would claim me? My shoulders felt so heavy that I couldn't stand, and another stab of pain came from between my breasts. "Are you feeling alright?" That voice was not in the Dead Lands. It was my brave pharaoh Yami. He was rubbing a poultice on my wounds, which were gaping. "I have felt better," I replied, my voice barely audible. "Would you have come to mourn had I died?"  
"Most definitely, Isis. You mean the world to me, and I would die if something ever happened to you."  
"Well, then, I suppose we'll have to be very cautious then, my pharaoh." We clasped each other's hands and I got up with support from my love. Thankfully, Shaadi was not there to see me, propped up like an invalid. Who knows what he would have said to me. We were in the room where the items once had been. Our eyes looked heavily upon that altar that had once contained the power of the shadow games. Would that power live on to kill us all? I will never know.  
  
Suddenly, the thief dropped down from a hole in the ceiling. "Your collection is incomplete, pharaoh." His dagger aimed for the pyramid hanging on Yami's neck. I hid my tahk in a pocket, hoping the thief would not hear the gold clinking against the thin chain. The pyramid was shattered like a frail puzzle, and its pieces flew all over the room. I dodged and grabbed Yami's hand. The thief smiled maliciously and said, "I am Bakura, the rightful heir to the millenium items." That name rang in my head. This was the thief who was the most infamous person in all of Egypt. "Leave us Bakura," I cried, "If you must kill me then do so."  
"With pleasure." A smile spread over Bakura's face, and he charged at me with a dagger, lips peeled back in a snarl. Then, I was pushed to the side, and rolled over almost six times, right into the thief. My head was craned backwards, leaving my neck wide open. Yet it was not I who fell. Yami took the full impact of the dagger's blade, and crimson blood splashed onto the wall in droplets. Bakura truly was an outlaw. In a temple, you were not allowed to even carry a dagger, let alone draw blood with one.  
  
The thief's chuckles echoed in my head. Everything was disoriented as my arms flew back, my head was thrown back, and my feet lifted from the ground. A solemn woman in intricate robes with blue hair and eyes appeared before me. Barefoot, she carried a huge blade with a mere wooden handle. She turned to me and said, "I am Suline, the servant of your will." Bakura seemed shocked at her words, yet I continued to watch my body as if it belonged to someone else, and hung there suspended. I could not move a finger, even if I cared to. Suddenly, a firm hand gripped my neck, and I was knocked unconscious. 


	7. Fantasy or Reality?

The world swirled around me and Suline stood, there, her long blue hair flying in the wind, solemn blue eyes looking directly at me. This was the first time I had noticed that Suline was pale as a northerner. And yet an asura settled over her, like the one that my pharaoh carried with him everywhere he went. Suline seemed powerful and firm, yet kind and gentle. Why she had sworn her fealty to me was a mystery. Was she a creature of the shadow games that had been unleashed from the tahk? My pretty that I had taken in the catacombs was hanging from my neck, and a multitude of bracelets ran up the entire length of my forearms. Firedrop earrings hung from my ears, two dainty stones. Suline was an unadorned warrior, one obviously accustomed to having little. "By your leave, mistress." That icy tone held a shimmer of affection in its depths. The dangerous young woman would talk to me, and only me, her mistress whom she followed devoutly and without complaint. "You should find the thief, who resides in the realm of shadow. I may only come forth from my home if my father thinks it necessary. Still, I shall try to follow you, whatever your choice.  
  
My nod silenced Suline's icy voice quite efficiently. Meekly, she stood in front of me, eyes hard and firm, back drawn up straight in a pose that showed that she was waiting for an order from me. "Do you know the high priest, Seto?" At a nod from my servant, I continued. "Then spy on him for me. Come only if you feel that there is something I must know. Do you understand?" This time Suline replied, "May I bring my blade? Or will it slow me down too much for your liking?"  
"Bring whatever weapons are necesssary, Suline. As long as you feel that they won't greatly slow your pace."  
Suline nodded gravely, her blue eyes looking at me for one last time, the one time that she could see her mistress as an equal, and a person who saw her as an equal. I believe that the latter was very encouraging for her self-esteem.  
  
I nearly felt ready to take a vow right then and there, a vow to see that Suline would never die because of me, or a blade that I had touched. Yet there was also my young pharaoh, and I would have many regrets if I took a vow to protect two people, I was sure of it. Next came a question that had occurred to me not just recently: where was I? Was I in a dreamlike version of the palace? No, it could not be possible, or the pharaoh would have welcomed me here. It did seem like the palace, but a foreboding nature replaced the usual friendly cheer around the palace. My steps echoed loudly, creating a lonely atmosphere. Suddenly, I ran into a young man with light brown hair and cold grey eyes.  
  
"Out of my way," the man screamed at me, throwing a punch. My shoulders were healed, yet bruised as I slammed into a marble wall. "Leave me to rest," said the dark man. His grey eyes looked at me with deferance as his cloak fluttered in a wind that would never blow in this place. That icy manner, those cold, heartless eyes, they seemed so familiar, and yet I was grasping at air. The person who that young man reminded me of sat there just out of my reach, a tantalizing piece of information. "Wait," I called as he turned to leave.  
"What," he asked in an impatient tone.  
"What is your name, sir?"  
"You may call me Arem. Is that all you need, my girl?"  
"Y-y-yes. Thank you Arem. I am Isis, the princess of Egypt, sister of Marik Ishtar. You may call me by name, if you wish to do so."  
"Thank you Isis." A hint of eagerness showed in Arem's voice as he slid a knife out of its sheath. "You will soon be dead," he muttered under his breath, "and then you will belong to my lord." 


	8. Another Fantasy?

A/N-Hey, you know what?! I'm really happy today! My school will not close unless the worst-case scenario comes along, but today I am experiencing my first snowday of the year! Anyway, back to my grave and solemn story where Isis will die for her love....mwahahaha.....  
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Arem charged at me silently, his lean body moving quickly, his reflexes trained for battle. My tahk grew cold and rested against my chest like it was just a pendant that I wore for its beauty. Then, the knife crashed into a white light, and I heard Suline's ear-piercing scream as she attempted to kill Arem. That enormous blade was knocked out of her hand, and crashed into a wall. Who could stop this madman from killing me like he had killed Suline, my faithful friend and warrior? Nobody. I was alone, confused, a shrunken heap on the floor. My vision blurred, and Suline slowly began to disappear. Why did so many people wish to die protecting me? Maybe my destiny is that of a confused woman, swallowed up by loneliness, then grief, then insanity. "Leave me," I whispered, "Leave me to die in peace, Arem. Just bring him here, the pharaoh. Tell him that his love is dead."  
"Why do you dare make such a request? I would never go to the pharaoh."  
"Then why must you kill? Is your grief so overwhelming that you must ward off or kill all who come near you?" My saddened whispers made Arem begin to weep. Will my pharaoh ever weep for me? I will never know.  
  
There we stood, Arem and I, both of us overcome with grief. I ran down the halls, farther and farther away from him, tears dropping on the polished floors of black marble. Arem ran after me, yet I paid him no heed. Our bare feet pounding on the floor resounded, bringing more tears to my eyes. "Don't follow," I cried, "This pain is mine and mine alone! You needn't carry the burden meant for me. It wasn't meant for you!" Arem's cries did not reach my ears, but his sobs did, and then I thought that he must know me, somehow, from somewhere. My footsteps slowed and then halted. I would not reject someone who knew me, someone who could help, someone who could heal the wound of loneliness in my heart. "I'm sorry Arem." He halted at those three words, and my lips parted. Only sobs came. He embraced me, and I cried into his shoulder. Where was my strong will? Was it truly a thing borrowed from my pharaoh? Maybe, but I wish I could have regained it, so that I wasn't crying so hard.  
  
"There, there," said Arem soothingly, "Why don't you just stay with me for a short time? After all, I truly know no way by which you could get home. Please, accept my offer."  
"I will, but I will not neglect my duty. We must find a way back to Egypt." His arm linked in mine, and we walked down the halls slowly. "Why must you attach yourself to this pharaoh," Arem asked me gently. "Why can't you stay with me?"  
"It is simple. He is my lover."  
"You look younger than eighteen years, my dear."  
"Don't call me that. I find that you are similar to me, except in one thing. You cannot understand true love. I now see why your grief is so great. All of your lovers were forced."  
"How would you know? We have known each other for only an hour."  
"I can tell because you lack things that appeal to most women, although that does not include a handsome face. You must soften yourself, or else your cruel instincts will lead to your own death." I turned away with solemn eyes and sighed. "Why you haven't realized your mistakes is beyond me."  
  
Suddenly, a surge swept through my body, and Arem, the marble halls, and the icy cold aura faded forever from my memory. 


	9. Awakened From a Dream

The pharaoh's eyes looked into mine as a chill swept over my body. There stood Suline, her face stained with tears as she leaned over Yami with a hand on his shoulder. "Are you alright Isis?" Yami's voice held more than a tinge of concern as he collapsed to his knees abruptly. "Please don't leave us."  
"Don't worry, Suline will prevent that with her sword, and soon Egypt shall be lifted from its blanket of the past and be born again."  
"Don't speak. Another wound is right under your windpipe, so just stay quiet."  
"She'll be fine," said Suline, kneeling down beside me. "Let me handle this." A warmth spread over my body, and something was bridging my wounds. Pain vanished, and my eyes snapped open violently. "Thank you Suline. I know that you would have been all the better without me in your way, but thank you."  
"No," said Yami, "We wanted you back, wanted the young, beautiful, interesting flower that was lost to us for a time. Your brother has gone into hiding, but he showed signs of grief when we last saw him."  
"My brother, d-d-did he weep for me? Did he weep like Arem?"  
"No, he was close, but I don't believe that your brother has ever wept, except for when your parents died."  
"Well then. If he didn't weep for me, why did he leave? Suline, I thought that you and Yami were both dead, killed by Bakura, or Marik."  
They both exchanged worried looks and helped me to sit up.  
  
My back ached and my vision was foggy. There stood Yami, offering his hand to me. A chill swept down my spine as I rose, and clung to him. There stood Suline, the perfect image of a courage I would never possess. "Do not worry mistress," said the warrior, looming over me. "We will bring you to the palace, and then you shall be in comfort. Also, a visitor awaits you there."  
"What? A visitor? What is he named?"  
"He gave us only one name: Isharem. It is the name of the shepherd who herded the flocks of Ra and kept with him a beautiful princess who always knew that she was his daughter."  
"Ah, I see. He will reveal himself soon enough, trust me."  
"Yet what if his name remains a secret? What then? Will you just calmly walk away?"  
Yami shot a harsh glance at Suline, like he did to people who were about to be beheaded. His blue eyes showed obvious impatience, and his right foot tapped lightly on the floor. Suddenly, I realized that we were in the catacombs, and this was where I had been knocked out by the thief. "May we leave," Suline asked sharply. With a nod from my pharaoh, my feet moved, and we were slowly on the way to the beautiful palace.   
  
Along the way, everybody was anxious, and not just because I had recently returned to consciousness. Yet was Arem a dream, a thing made to give me false hope that there was somebody in this world who shared my confused feelings about love and life. This young man had seemed like the kindest person I could ever meet. He wept for me, unlike my brother. He was emotional, unlike Suline. He was a warrior, like my pharaoh. The darkness of the passageway now seemed almost warming, since there was someone there with emotion. Yet, I could not keep back a feeling in the back of my head that we were being watched. Why I didn't know. Nothing before had driven me to this point. Ignoring my pain, I ran ahead and out of the catacombs, fleeing toward my home: our estate in the vast desert. 


End file.
